Surviving The Storm
by WWESpongefan
Summary: Bikini Bottom is usually a place that's sunny and warm, but they experience severe storms just like everyone else. Find out what happens when a tornado hits Bikini Bottom.


**Surviving The Storm**

Bikini Bottom is usually a place that's sunny and warm but like everywhere else they occasionally have severe storms. This day started off as warm spring day with clear skys, not one cloud in the sky. As the day went along more clouds gathered and the wind picked up. Everyone was at the Krusty Krab enjoying their Krabby Patties until the weather started getting everyone's attention. At about five in the afternoon it started to rain, and some people were worried about a severe storm. After a while it started to thunder outside, which got Spongebob's attention.

"Oh my goodness, it's starting to storm pretty bad. Hey Squidward turn it to the Bikini Bottom News."

Usually Squidward wouldn't worry about the weather, but there were a lot of people that wanted to check up on the weather.

"You guys are over-reacting. I'm sure this storm will just blow over us in a few minutes."

The weather man from the news spoke otherwise.

"If you're just tuning in we have an update on the weather. What we're experiencing right now is just the beginning. This storm is expected to strengthen as the night goes on. I wouldn't be surprised if there were power outages, were already recieving reports of damaging winds. Please be careful out there, there is a possibility of this storm producing a tornado. I would highly recommend that everyone get home as soon as possible. Stay tuned as we continue our weather broadcast."

A few minutes go by and everyone at the Krusty Krab try to finish eating, and a few people decided to have their order to go. They decided to get home as soon as they could.

wasn't exactly happy about the customers leaving, but he realized that with people leaving there wasn't really any reason to keep the Krusty Krab open so he sent Squidward and Spongebob home. Just before they walked out they heard an emergency weather broadcast.

"This just in, a tornado his just touched down a few miles outside of Bikini Bottom. According to it's path... it looks like Bikini Bottom is going to take a direct hit. So now a tornado warning has been issued for the entire city of Bikini Bottom, which includes the downtown area and rural areas. Please take shelter immediately away from all windows."

"Mr. Krabs do you have somewhere safe to go?"

"Aye lad, I have a basement at home. I'll be fine, You and Squidward need to find somewhere safe."

Meanwhile inside the Chum Bucket Plankton noticed that everyone was leaving the Krusty Krab.

"Everyone seems to be in a state of panic... maybe this is the perfect opportunity to steal the formula."

"Are you even paying attention to the weather outside Plankton?"

"What? A little rain never hurt anybody."

Plankton walks out the door for a moment only to see a bolt of lightning hit the ground and hear the thunder after it.

"Ok nevermind... maybe another time. Karen do we have anywhere safe to hide from the storm?"

"Yeah... it's called the basement."

"The basement! But it's dark and scary down there."

"This is coming from the so called meanest villian in town. Who would have thought you would be afraid of the dark, or afraid of a storm?"

"I'm not afraid... just concerned for our safety, but could we light a few candles down there in case the electricity goes out."

"Sure thing Plankton."

Everyone outside started panicing, they were running and trying to find a place where they would be safe. Spongebob started panicing and ran home to check up on Gary. As Spongebob runs home he always passes by Sandy's treedome. He thought her treedome didn't stand a chance so he ran in to warn her.

"Sandy open up!"

Sandy was a little worried because Spongebob was out in the storm.

"Spongebob what are you doing out here? It's not a good idea to be out while it's storming."

"I know Sandy, but I came to warn you. There's a tornado out there, and it's headed striaight for Bikini Bottom."

"What? A tornado in Bikini Bottom?"

"Yeah come on Sandy. Your whole dome is made out of glass and well the weather man says to stay away from glass windows. Come one Sandy put on your helmet, I know somewhere where we'll be safe."

Spongebob and Sandy make their way back to Spongebob's pineapple. The wind and rain made it hard for them to move, it was still thundering and lightning out so they had to be careful, but they made it to Spongebob's pineapple. Patrick and Squidward were worried because they could see the tornado coming.

"Spongebob the tornado is coming, what do we do?"

"Patrick, Squidward hurry, go down to my basement, I've got to get Gary."

Spongebob had to look around for Gary because he was scared of the storm. Spongebob called for Gary, but he was too scared to come out. Spongebob finally found Gary under the bed. He grabbed Gary and ran back outside so he could get in the basement. He opened the basement doors and handed Gary to Patrick. Patrick took Gary and backed into a corner as far away from the doors a possible. Sandy on the other hand was trying to help Spongebob. Spongebob was trying his hardest to close the basement doors but the wind was fighting against him. The tornado was just across the street and was coming there way fast. Sandy saw him struggling with the doors and she saw the tornado. It was coming right for him.

"Spongebob the tornado is coming!"

Sandy didn't care about closing the doors anymore, she only cared about getting Spongebob back away from the doors. She ran up to Spongebob but begged Sandy to stay back and to get back in the corner with everyone else. He seemed to forget that Patrick and Squidward were down there too, but he didn't really care what they thought about what he was going to say to her next.

"Sandy please... don't come any closer. I don't want anything to happen to you... I love you Sandy! "

Before Sandy could respond and before Spongebob could do anything else, a bolt of lightning struck him and he fell unconscious. Sandy was about to run over to grab him, but Patrick and Squidward held her back.

"No! Spongebob! Squidward, Patrick let me go!"

"It's too late Sandy!"

Sandy wouldn't listen and she broke free and dragged him back to the corner where everyone else was. They never got the doors closed so they all huddled together against the wall. Sandy held onto the unconscious Spongebob as tight as she could. As the tornado raged above them wind, rain, and debris was thrown into the room, but luckily nothing hit anyone. After thirty terrifying seconds the tornado passed them and the wind dies down. It takes everyone about a minute, but finally when they were sure it was safe, Squidward and Patrick left the basement to look around at the damage done.

Sandy quickly sprung into action and was going to carry Spongebob to the hospital, but luckily on the was an ambulance spotted them and took them the rest of the way. Luckily the hospital was still standing. The paramedics told her that she would have to wait for them to put him into a room because she would get in the way. She wasn't happy about it, but she did what they said. After twenty minutes they finally told her that she could come in to see him. The image that she had in her head played out in slow motion. She remembered the lightning striking him in the chest and she could remember the smell of burning flesh. His clothes had holes in them from where the lightning entered and exited his body.

She watched him lay there in the hospital bed and felt like the whole thing was her fault. The tornado wasn't the worst part of the storm, it was the lightning. The doctor even told her that more people die from lightning strikes than they do tornadoes. The doctor told her that they've done all they can do and that his survival rate is about fifty percent. She was prepared to stay with him for as long as she could. The last thing she remembered him say to her was that he loved her. She started crying because she loved him too, but realized that they may not ever have a chance to be together if he dies. Patrick and Squidward came to see him and Sandy asked them how bad things looked. Squidward was the first one to reply.

"Well Sandy... we've been throughout the whole town. Some parts of the town were still standing, but other places you couldn't recognize where you were or what used to stand there. The Krusty Krab... unfortunately is still standing, your treedome thing is fine. Mine and Spongebob's homes were completely destroyed. Patrick lives in a rock and it was still there so there was nothing really wrong with his home."

Sandy realized how much Squidward hated Spongebob and was going to defend him.

"Well Squidward... I guess you finally get what you wanted. You can move away so you won't have to live next to Spongebob anymore. I can't believe that after he let you take shelter in his basement that you still hate the guy."

It was Squidward's turn to be defensive.

"Yes I hated him, but after what he did... maybe I don't hate him as much as I used to. Maybe he's not so bad."

"I don't get why you would hate him at all. The guy has done nothing except be nice to you. All he wants is for you to be his friend."

"You don't have to live next to him or work with him."

"I get that he may not be the best to live with or work with, but if it hadn't of been for Spongebob you probably wouldn't be alive right now."

Sandy started to cry a little bit, but didn't really care because Spongebob risked his life for all of them including her. The atmosphere in the room changed a little bit as Patrick tried to move on.

"So how is he Sandy? Is he going to be ok?"

"I really don't know Patrick. The doctor told me he did everything they could, he told me that Spongebob has a fifty percent chance of coming out of this. It's all my fault... I should have pulled him away from the doors when I had a chance, but I stood there and watched it happen."

"It's not your fault Sandy. How were you supposed to know he was going to get struck by lightning."

"I just stood there in shock because just before it happened... he told me that he loved me. I just couldn't believe it. You guys were there you would know."

Sandy went over to where Spongebob was and sat down to hold his hand. It was quiet in the room until Patrick spoke up.

"You love him too... don't you Sandy."

Sandy took a moment as she held his hand and looked back at Squidward and Patrick.

"Yes... I do. He did his best to try to protect me... all of us really. He's done this before, it's just something that I've always loved about him."

Squidward and Patrick didn't really have much to say after this so they left, but before they did Sandy had one last thing to say.

"Wait guys... before you go someone needs to take care of Gary. He really means a lot to Spongebob and since I'm here you guys should do it."

Squidward didn't really have a problem taking care of Gary. He didn't really have anywhere else to go so he decided to stay in Spongebob's basement anyway. That's where Gary was last anyway.

"I'll take care of Gary. After all since he did let me ride out the storm in his basement, I guess the least I could do is watch over his snail."

"Well what about me Squidward? Gary likes me better?"

Sandy slaps the glass where her forehead would be.

"If it makes you feel any better Patrick you can take care of Gary too."

Patrick smiles and likes this idea.

"Ok. Bye Sandy."

Finally Patrick and Squidward left. As Sandy held Spongebob's hand she talked to him.

"Don't worry Spongebob, I'm sure one of them will take good care of Gary. If I have to though I'll go check up on him. Gary will be fine Spongebob, I promise. I just hope you will be too. You told me that you loved me before all of this happened. I guess I better tell you this now just in case I don't get to tell you later. Please don't leave me Spongebob... I love you too."

Sandy gets tired and pulls up a chair and sits down right beside Spongebob. Throughout the night she still held his hand as she fell asleep. The next morning she woke up early because she sensed movement. She opened her eyes as she watched Spongebob sit up, then she saw him open those blue eyes.

"Spongebob, you're awake?"

As Spongebob sat up he felt a lot of pain in his chest.

"Oh don't move Spongebob... you're hurt pretty bad."

"What happened Sandy?"

"You were struck by lightning Spongebob. It was pretty bad. I can't believe you're awake, the doctor told me yesterday that you only had a fifty percent survival rate. I... thought I lost you Spongebob."

Spongebob could tell how Sandy was feeling and tried to make a joke out of it.

"What? Come on Sandy... you should know it takes more than a little bit of lightning to take me out."

Sandy couldn't help but laugh a little bit. She couldn't believe that even in situations like this he would still be making jokes.

"Seriously though Spongebob... I couldn't believe you would go through all of that trouble to protect us like that."

"You guys mean the world to me... especially you Sandy. I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you. I love you Sandy."

"I love you too Spongebob."

Sandy takes off her helmet for a moment and quickly kisses him on the lips. She could only hold her breath for so long so she knew she had to make it quick. She also had to make sure that she didn't hurt Spongebob because she knew he was still in pain. The reaction she got from him told her that he wasn't really in pain at the moment and that he was enjoying the kiss. The kiss was just long enough for him to kiss her back, but when she finally needed air she ended the kiss, put her helmet back on, and drained out the water.

As the day goes by she tells him that her treedome was still standing, but she also told him that his pineapple was destroyed. She told him that Squidward and Patrick were taking care of Gary. He was worried that the Krusty Krab might have been destroyed, but she told him that the Krusty Krab was still standing too. Finally a news report came on and the weather man gave the latest update.

"I'm here with some good news and some bad news. The good news is everyone in Bikini Bottom seems to have made it through the night with no deaths to report. The bad news is that the tornado did a lot of damage to some parts of Bikini Bottom. Lots of people are not really worried about what was damaged because they say some things can be replaced but lives can't. Everyone tells us they will rebuild Bikini Bottom bigger, better, and stronger than ever. Finally one more story about good news tonight... A tale about bravery, friendship, and even love. A young man by the name of Spongebob Squarepants went through so much yesterday to make sure that his friends were safe. I caught up with his neighbor and co-worker Squidward Tentacles. He is the one that first gave us the story. He tells us that even though he didn't always like Spongebob, he was greatful to him for saving his life and allowing him to ride out the storm in his basement. He is now happy to call Spongebob his friend. He tells us that Spongebob also let his friend Patrick Star, and his pet snail Gary ride out the storm. Of course the tale of bravery I was told was that even though Spongebob was afraid of the storm himself he took the time to save local resident Sandy Cheeks, who lives in an air filled glass dome. Luckily for her the tornado never even came near her dome, but Spongebob cared enough to bring her to shelter anyway. He gets everyone down in his basement just in time, but the doors were being held open by the wind. As he is trying to close them Sandy begs him to come back with the rest of them in the corner. When Sandy comes up to help him he tell her to stay in the corner where it is safe. He tells her that he loves her, but before anything else happens a bolt of lightning strikes him. Sandy grabs him and hold on to him as they tornado raged above them. As of right now Spongebob is at the Bikini Bottom hospital being treated for severe lightning burns. All I can say is Spongebob... Bikini Bottom wishes you a full and speedy recovery."

As the Bikini Bottom News went off the air Spongebob felt so special. He had never felt so loved before. He felt loved by Sandy, but now he also felt loved by everyone in Bikini Bottom. A few days go by and Spongebob does fully recover. He is released from the hospital about five days later and like most of the other people start rebuilding the city. Of course for him it wouldn't be that hard. (See the episode Home Sweet Pineapple if you haven't already.) Spongebob would recieve many compliments on how brave he was, but was eventually awarded a metal for his bravery. Even though the lightning struck him in the chest that day it missed his heart by a few inches. That day he proved that his heart was bigger than his fears.

**The End**


End file.
